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If you wear a fitness band or Garmin or Apple watch all day, what is your computed VO2 Max reading?

Asked by LuckyGuy (43701points) March 1st, 2023

Does the reading seem about right? If it says you are sedentary, are you? If it says you are very active, are you?
Please take a look.

I am aware that the only true way to measure VO2 Max is in a lab, on a treadmill, with a respirator/ventilator with gas sensors. But that is expensive and not available to most people.
The idea of a smart watch doing it is brilliant!
Supposedly it calculates the VO2 Max by looking at your heart rate for different activity levels over a few days and then considers your age, height and weight to determine an estimated value. This is a clever idea – if it works! But my results seems way off for me.
It puts me in the bottom 40% of people my age, which does not seem right. I am in pretty good shape and am way more active than other guys my age. It also does not know I am wearing arm and leg weights when I exercise. Nor does it know I carry extra weight in my pockets when I go outdoors.

If you are reluctant to mention your numbers publicly, feel free to PM me. I mostly want to know if the numbers make sense to you.

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